In the Wings 1
by CaliopeBell
Summary: Tony Stark and Emma Frost have had an ongoing relationship that has never been truly defined. Here is a story of how it began.
1. Chapter 1

A Tangle for Two.

Ch 1

Tony Stark paused in the entryway of one of the oldest buildings in Manhattan. It was nearing ten o'clock, and he was being unfashionably late to this, the most exclusive party of the year. Giving the nod to Happy Hogan, his chauffeur, he moved forward through the noise of clinking glasses and gaudy laughter. A liveried gentleman smiled in greeting, and Tony happily took a flute of champagne from his tray.

 _So,_ Tony thought, _this is the Hellfire Club_. The inner sanctum of New York's most exclusive executive club was lined with dark wood and priceless art. Cigar smoke and expensive brandy oozed from the glossy polish that coated the centuries-old paneling. The entry room seemed filled to capacity, and the young man took stock of both the noteworthy and notorious in attendance. It wasn't exactly his kind of crowd.

The hand-lettered invitation, delivered only days ago, had promised a feast for the senses. Naturally, he had made the time to peek in on this forbidden slice of old money. Not even his famous father had been invited to the Hellfire Club. Smirking, Tony looked around the room, taking a long sip. No one he knew personally; some he'd like to know intimately.

Of course, he was merely twenty-five, fresh from MIT with his second PhD. His regular friends were party maniacs, hot with sex and beer bongs, still perfecting designs for robotic panty-removers. Not like these wonderful caricatures before him. An older gentleman, one of the few with a full head of hair - or was it a toupee? -smiled, moving through the crowd to join him.

"Anthony Stark!" He said, offering his hand in a fluid gesture, "Sebastian Shaw. Glad you could make it." The statuesque man wore an odd costume, much like the waiter, but all in black. His hair was tied back in a black satin bow.

"You aren't going to a funeral, are you, Bas?" Stark shook the hand, noting the strength of it. "I think your jimjams are too flashy for a wake."

Shaw chuckled, "They said you were the direct sort. I like it! Please, follow me to the salon. The rest of the inner circle are wanting to meet you in the worst way." Shaw placed a hand over his mouth for secrecy, "That's where the real party is." He winked.

Tony smiled, "As long as it's not a threesome with you and Henrietta Hyena over there, I'm intrigued." The large woman noticed him pointing, but was quickly distracted from flirtation by an hors d'oeuvres tray.

Shaw's smile changed, leaving his eyes as he nodded, leading the way through a set of heavy oak doors. The raucous noises vanished as a pair of liveried men closed the massive things behind them. Pinching the bridge of his nose, Stark glanced around during Sebastian's introductions. This was too weird.

"My friends, make welcome for Anthony Stark. Mr. Stark, may I present the inner circle of the Hellfire club."

Before Tony stood a small gathering of people, all dressed in either completely black, or completely white. The men wore outfits similar to Shaw, while the women...Tony drained his glass. Regardless of age or size, every woman in the room wore as little as possible.

"We dress as pieces of a chess board, you see. I am the Black King. My Queen is...unavailable tonight." He glared a warning to the others, "Before you stand rooks, knights, oh! And a bishop. Glad you could make it, your excellency." As he said their rank, the various members nodded. Many of them seemed annoyed at Tony's presence.

Tony was about to make a Clue reference to Shaw when an overly tall man in white, who had earlier indicated his knighthood by giving an angry nod at the right time, slammed a hand into the wall and stormed out, giving Tony a nasty sneer on his way. Oh, He knew that one. Donald Pierce had stolen a few ideas from Tony's first graduate paper, leading to the older man's rise to fame. Stark had filed a million-dollar lawsuit that had left Pierce bankrupt.

The room had quieted, with all eyes turning from Pierce to Stark. Tony smirked and snagged another glass. "Party foul! Am I right?" He drank the champagne in a gulp as the inner circle returned to completely ignoring him. This party was getting too strange for sobriety. He turned, snatching a whiskey from a passing tray, only to find Shaw in his face again.

"You must forgive our white knight. He's just lost a bet with his queen, you see."

Shaw turned toward the smaller figure in white that accompanied him. The girl on the king's arm was incredibly beautiful, and Tony remembered to close his mouth at the last second. He smiled, mainly at her. Only at her. She was wearing a corset. Not much else, either. _Ooh_ , Tony bit his lip. _Party favors_.

"Stark, I thought I'd make this introduction myself. This is Emma Frost. She's our White Queen."

The girl was not smiling. Her eyes sparkled, waiting for- no, daring Tony to insult her. Time to be smooth.

"What did they do, take your clothes away until you said you'd meet me?" Tony took note of every part of her. From the neck up, of course. Not.

"Actually, this is the costume for all females in the Circle. If they want in, they have to comply." Shaw winked at Tony, and the younger man's stomach turned. Sure, he liked eye candy as much as the next guy, but the expression on the girl's face made it feel weird. Wrong. The Shaw guy was leering a bit too much, like he'd waved a carrot around in front of the young man. Tony wondered what the stick was.

"A pleasure, Miss Frost, in whatever you are wearing." Tony kissed her hand. He meant it. She softened in surprise. "But, I think I'll go. I like my ladies half-naked because they want to be." Tony turned for the door, but ran into Shaw's hand. It stopped him cold. Literally.

Normally, there was some give in a person who was trying such a thing, but this Shaw, he was more like solid rock. Tony looked down at the hand, then into the king's eyes. Ah, the stick.

Shaw's determined mouth split into a wide smile, "I apologize. I had hoped you and Emma might take a tour, get to know each other."

Emma nodded, her blue eyes less cloudy, but keeping an eye on Shaw, "I would love the company."

 _Ah. Definitely a party favor_. Tony bowed to Miss Frost slightly, "When in hell, right?" She laughed, probably for Shaw more than him, pointing him towards a staircase.

He guided Emma away from the rest of the inner circle, folding her arm over his. Her blonde hair brushed at his shoulder as she walked. What was that scent? "Here is the founder of the club, Milton Bradley." The young queen's voice was soft and resonating.

Tony kept glancing back, only once seeing Shaw raise his glass towards the couple. "Dick." He muttered. They entered into a vacant salon.

"Oh, you have no idea, darling." Emma whispered back. Her accent was familiar. "The power plays, the backstabbing -literally. Where do you think the White King is?"

"Hudson River?"

"Insane asylum."

Tony nodded, "And you are paid to, um. Entertain new blood?"

She paused in her step, "I am not paid anything. Do you not re-…" Her eyes narrowed, "You think I'm a whore!" Emma pushed him against the wall, cape flowing about her.

Tony didn't know whether to be embarrassed or turned on. Her hair and her angry face... just wow. "Hold it, hold it Bondage Barbie!" He held up his hands in defense, trying not to giggle. "I apologize! It's just... you didn't seem thrilled to be around Shaw, and I..."

A polished white fingernail poked his chest, "Emma Frost," she growled, "Frost Enterprises. Frost Holdings, Frost International!"

 _Ohhh shit. John Frost's daughter. One of them, anyway. Should have known from the Old Boston accent_.

"Heyyy! Emma!" Tony stayed up against the wall, but his hands relaxed, trying to placate, "I'm sorry, okay? Last time I saw you, we were throwing seaweed at each other."

"That was Adrienne." Emma raised a perfect eyebrow.

"We were... " _shit shit shit_. "Wait, I've almost got it..." he grinned, leaning close to whisper, "feeding the birds".

A genuine smile crossed those frosty lips. "Yes."

He had been ten, she a shy, quiet eight, mainly hiding from the rest of her family during their summer vacation to Maine. Now she was… legal.

Tony grabbed her hand, pulling her to a nearby couch. He rested his chin on his hands, giving her an adorable flutter of eyelashes, "So, how have you been?"

Emma curled her legs underneath, smirking, "Better. Father died a few years ago, and left everything- what was left, anyway, to my brother. Remember Andrew?"

Tony nodded slowly, "yeah. Psychopath in the making, even at fifteen. So wait. All of the Frost things you named, they're..."

"Mine." The girl lifted her chin, "and only mine. Built on my ideas, my patents. While you've been away at school, so have I."

"Damn. Nothing for a guy like me to offer, then." He smiled kindly, realizing he wanted more than chit chat, "Want to blow this museum and get some clothes, maybe dinner?"

At the mention of leaving, Emma paled. "No, I can't. There's too much at stake." She glanced around, putting her poking finger to his lips, "Not here." Standing, her hips swayed to the faint music below as she danced him further from the party. "Shaw wants you as White King. It would make you his technical equal, but he thinks he can manipulate your inexperience. Mold you."

Tony followed her lead, placing his hands on her shoulder and waist, but surprised himself by pulling her close. "No thanks. I have Obediah for that." He closed his eyes, "What is that perfume?"

"Gardenias." Emma was in his arms now, he could sense the heat of her cheek next to his, "See that door?"

Tony could see it, "Closet?"

"No cameras." She nipped at his earlobe.

In a heartbeat, he had turned his head, claiming her lips in a slow, breath-stealing kiss. Emma was twirled to the closet in a single motion, the door closing behind them. Tony grinned against her lips.

"No cameras, as requested."

The girl let out a breath from the kiss, then smiled back, "Thank you. Now we can speak freely."

 _What_. "Speak?" He still held her.

Emma sighed, "Yes. Believe me, I am really enjoying you, Anthony, but-"

"Tony. Only jerks call me Anthony." _Maybe if I just start at her neck..._

"Tony. But!" She held him at arm's length, "You need to know that this place is not what you think. Something big is about to happen. I can't stop it, and Sebastian will kill me if I don't do my part. What I can do, at least, is make sure you are well out of it."

Something was wrong. Sure, a lot of people said someone would kill them, but Emma didn't act like she was exaggerating.

"Kill? What are you saying, Emma? That weird Scooby villain wanna-be is threatening you?" Tony grabbed her shoulders and traded places, "you stay here, I'm calling the cops. This freak show ends now."

"No! Tony, wait!" The girl pulled him back, "There are things you don't know. About me. About Shaw."

His back thumped against the door as his arms crossed. _Still calling the cops_. "I'm listening."

Emma took a deep breath, "Have you heard the reports on the news about Charles Xavier?"

He was getting a bad feeling, "yes. He opened a school. Teaching special kids, or something."

"Special is an understatement. He, and they, have potent abilities." Emma chewed on her lip, "So does Shaw. He gets what he wants, Tony. Nothing can stop him."

"He hasn't come up against me, yet. What is he wanting, Em?"

"I can't tell you. There's so many moving parts that it is impossible to stop. Sebastian's plan involves powerful people. That's why you have to leave. I know you'll try to stop his plans. It's what the last king did."

"Right, he ended up in an insane asylum." _Damn. Might be a nice vacation after this_ _place_.

Her arms went around his neck. "Just go. For the sake of our old friendship, leave. Please. Now.' She was sincerely worried about him. Tony held her tightly, kissing more gently this time. "I can't do that."

There was a dullness in her voice as he felt her withdrawing, "Damn. I tried." Emma sighed, "Tony, I'm so sorry."

Tony closed his eyes for a second, resting his lips against her forehead. "I'll protect you, promise."

A socket wrench flipped in the air, and his hand caught it as he paused in his dance to some Ramones playing on the radio. Tony Stark turned around in a complete, confused circle. He was back at MIT, in his lab. _What the hell just happened?_ Checking his watch, he realized more than a week had passed since the party at the Hellfire club. In a panic, he turned on the tv, flipping to CNN, MSNBC, any news channel he could find. Tony's memories began to return slowly, and within the hour, he was able to piece together everything but the day after the party. Emma Frost had kissed him. Said he needed to run. Tony had said no, but ... what had she said, there were things he didn't know about Emma Frost. What had she done to him, besides rescue him from involvement in the Hellfire club?

Happy wandered in, setting some burgers on a mostly cleared workbench. "Got you a bacon cheeseburger, boss." He was sipping on his own drink..

"Thanks, buddy. Hey, have I been acting weird this week?" Tony sat on a stool, exchanging burger for wrench with his back to the tv.

"No, well actually, yeah. You and me were supposed to catch a Knick's game two days ago, but you started muttering about staying in Cambridge. You had to stay. I was pretty disappointed, but it all ended well, cause, you know... Rebecca."

Tony tilted his head, "I know a Rebecca?"

Happy didn't answer, picking up the remote and turning up the tv volume, "Did you hear about this? Old place was probably a tinderbox, but some are calling it arson."

Tony turned in his seat. "Holy shit. Is that live?"

The only way he knew it was the Hellfire Club was from the scrolling words on the screen.

"No, it happened yesterday. You were in 'do not disturb' mode" Happy made quote marks with his fingers, "so I waited. Place is gutted. Police are saying it was probably a gas main." The words changed: No survivors. Total loss.

Sure enough, as Tony and Happy walked towards the blackened rubble of the Hellfire club, still smoking in the early dawn of the next day, the scene looked hopeless. He wasn't sure why he'd come, but Tony chalked it up to closure. Dirty water pooled on the damaged ground. The traffic was light, but already the city had begun to awaken. Happy went first, ever the protector. He poked at bits of ground aimlessly.

"Careful, that might be a friend of mine." That hurt just to think. _Too soon_.

Happy turned, "This is useless. C'mon, Tony. Let's get somewhere friendlier. I know a strip club in Jersey..."

That was when he heard it. Like a cat, but not. "Sshh...did you hear that?" Tony frowned, turning closer to the building's remains.

"I read about ghosts haunting old places-"

Tony put a hand over Happy's mouth, "it's not a ghost!" He murmured, cocking his head. There it was again. "You don't hear that?"

Happy shook his head, and the younger man released his hold. He stalked across the burnt wood flooring, stomping and pacing.

"Remember my aunt Gladys?" Happy asked.

"Happy, if this is about the ghost of your aunt, I swear..."

"No. I was just remembering how she lived in a real old crackerbox near here. She was so proud of it being old. I was just thinking how when a big company bought it from her in the 60's, they bulldozed it, and found a... what was it called, root cellar underneath."

"Root Cellar?" Tony stalked over to him, and kissed him on the cheek, "I am doubling your pay, Happy!" He pulled the big guy over to the burnt out building, and they both sat together. It took a few minutes to shush Happy out of questions.

"All right." Tony spoke loudly, "Now, I, the one a certain criminally-minded lady did not want involved, and Happy, who does not want to be here because he thinks you're a ghost, are going to sit here for a very long time, just in case you are trapped somewhere, and have changed your mind about dinner...And clothes." He held his breath.

Happy looked around. "I got nothin', boss."

Tony still waited, so Happy waited with him. A few minutes passed before Tony heard the sound again. He scrambled up, beginning to stomp on the burned floors harder.

"Boss, what if it's a cat? I didn't hear a thing!" Even so, the chauffeur began to stomp as well. Happy suddenly fell through the floor. "Definitely a basement or cellar here, Boss!"

Tony tossed a flashlight to his friend. "Emma!" His voice had turned more frantic now. "If you are down there, say something, or I'll tell everyone your secret." Even as he said it, he laughed in relief. _Not dead. Can't be dead_.

"Don't. Turn you...a chicken." That was NOT a voice. It was more of a thought, only not his own.

"Emma?" Tony managed, his voice cracking. _What did she mean by that? Could ghosts do that?_

A great crashing sound rose up from below. "Found her!" Happy's face appeared in the hole, "There's a huge place down here filled with cages and stuff. Someone liked animals."

Tony rolled his eyes, "You didn't see this place before it burned, Hap. Someone liked pets. Get up here and call 911 so I can take credit. Wait, get the Stark team here. No reporters that way." He jumped into the hole, mostly sticking the landing.

The beautiful girl from the party was now bloody and covered in dirt. Tony carefully dug around her in the rubble, talking to her softly. "What happened, sweetheart? That was a dirty trick to pull on me, sending my heroic ass back to Cambridge like that."

The voice spoke in his head again, "kept you safe."

"Point, but look what happened to you. Chipped more than a few nails, Em. And I know your secret."

"Turn you in-"

"-to a chicken. Yes, you said that. Maybe you have a concussion. You're way too smart to repeat yourself."

"Yes."

He brushed her hair from her face, "I'm holding you to that date." Emma Frost gave no outward sign that she was conscious.

"Might be... a while."

Tony kissed her dusty lips, "I've got time."


	2. Chapter 2

Emma Frost smiled to herself as the elevator glided towards the 40th floor of Stark Tower. She could already hear the lawyers in her mind, arguing on her behalf, and Tony's, as they waited for both to arrive. Strange, how he was later than she thought he would be. The powerful telepath had made it a point to follow his movements in town. Ever since her return to consciousness from Jean Gray's explosive outburst at the Hellfire club, Tony Stark had been sending her friendly, but hopeful emails.

Her eyes roamed along the Manhattan skyline as the elevator continued its climb. Stark Tower was an impressive building, even if it was a symbol of overcompensation. Not that she knew for sure, of course. Their first date had never happened. Emma grimaced, remembering her own fumbled excuse followed by a hasty departure from Tony's medical facility four years before. The whole idea of dating Tony had felt too much like payment for a debt. His playboy status had not helped, either. By either plan or fate, they had both been on opposite sides of the country most of the time. But now, she could finally repay her debt to him.

Checking her watch again, Emma Frost, president and CEO of Frost International let out a deep breath. Only ten minutes late. She could blame the traffic, but it was really about her need to scan the building. Charles Xavier had been looking for her under every rock. Fortunately, she wasn't into spelunking. Emma wasn't sure what the powerful telepath wanted from her, but it couldn't be good. Not when she had been implicated in Shaw's attempt to capture and control all of the senior X-men. Shaw was still out there. Pierce had survived, too. Well, most of him. Emma could sense their whereabouts much easier than she could Charles'. It seemed that she had not been the only lucky one.

The attorneys were actually agreeing now, and it made Frost smile. They could agree all they liked, but Tony Stark could still say no. The elevator chimed, and slowed to a halt. As its doors opened, Emma smoothed her white tailored suit - a far cry from what she had worn for the leering Inner Circle. Her fashionably short hair bounced as she entered the room, nodding to everyone. "Gentlemen, ladies." She frowned slightly, "It seems we are missing someone."

"Mr. Stark is on conference call, and should be here-"

"Ten minutes ago! I know, I know." Tony breezed in, "Sorry about that. Had to put something to bed. Literally." He laughed at his own joke, and turned to Emma, "Ms. Frost. Nice to see that you aren't running away, yet."

Emma nodded, taking in his half-meant smirk and new facial hair. _Keep it together, Emma._ If her childhood friend was still in there, she couldn't feel it in his eyes. Actually, she couldn't feel anything from him.

"Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Mr. Stark. I am sure it will be to both our companies' benefit."

"I was sure about a few things four years ago, but I promise you, I am very unsure now." Tony gave his false smile to everyone, "It seems the suits have claimed sides. Anyone for a coffee? We have great muffins. No?" He sat, flanked by several lawyers.

Emma moved to the other side of the table, and made a show of sitting, crossing legs, owning every man there. But Stark was still a mystery. How was he keeping her out? Even if she couldn't sense him, he was still staring at her, mouth in a daydream smile. She had him.

"If I may begin," she offered, "Frost International has been developing a next-generation mobile personal assistant, and we are asking to either be granted license to manufacture…" She looked at the model number, though she didn't have to, "gyroscope model number SGS-5.4, or purchase the units from Stark for a reasonable amount. As you can see in our proposal, Frost pda sales were at an all time high this past year, and the new models will blow away what little competition is left." She nodded, tilting her head to Tony.

"I don't like it."

Stark's flock of yes-men almost gasped audibly.

"I mean, What's in it for us? Have you seen the kind of theft going on overseas? Intellectual property is being stolen and repackaged by way too many people already. We have to be careful." Tony stood, pushing his chair back, "Sorry Frosty. Go steal someone else's ideas." He winked at her while the nearest lawyers scrambled after, whispering frantically to him.

Emma watched Tony curiously. _Where is he?_ This was some kind of prank. Her eyes lit up in understanding, then hardened to glittering stone.

"Gentlemen, I was informed that Mr. Stark would be present for this meeting. Hard-light holograms hold no weight in corporate law, as I am sure you are all aware." She leaned back, crossing her arms. "Had I known Mr. Stark would be playing truant, I would have stayed on the beach." Her eyebrow raised, staring the thing in the eyes as she waited for the lawyers' protests to die down.

"Are you calling me transparent?" Tony looked shocked. He took a muffin from his pocket, tearing off a piece and popping it in his mouth. With a hard stare, he headed towards a door marked with his name, "Meeting's over kid. Go home."

Emma watched as he stood next to the door, but didn't open it. Her eyes narrowed. This was all a show for her benefit, and it didn't matter if they both lost millions of dollars. She stood, dismissing her people with a graceful wave, "Very well. I hate to do it, but there ARE other, lesser gyroscopes to be had. Hammertech has sent us a very interesting, and much cheaper proposal."

She flipped her hair as she glanced back to Tony with a scowl, then headed for the door. _Two can play at this game._ Her hips twitched as she took a few steps, but she didn't get far.

The door in front of her opened, and Tony Stark, the real one with a mind, slid in on the polished wood, "Heyyy Emma! It's me. But you probably know that. Just a beta test of my new hard-light system for the communications division." He turned to the lawyers, waving his fingers at them, "Burt? Sarah? Did you know? Did I feel present? Yeah? Great! Someone make a note that it was a success!" Both Burt And Sarah shook their heads at him, Burt holding up his hands in surrender as they returned to their seats.

Tony turned on the charm, spinning to smile at her again, "So, blue eyes, want to get down to business?" He walked towards Emma, guiding her back to the table. She smiled thinly, but sat opposite him. Again. The hologram Tony was still standing there, eating its muffin salaciously, flirting with her.

"That is very unsettling. Please dismantle it." Hologram Tony blew her a kiss before fading out.

"So, Hammer's trying to get his foot in, huh? He wouldn't know a gyroscope from a potato." Tony drummed his fingers on the table, leafing through the prospectus.

Emma sighed softly, looking at her manicured nails, "He is trying, yes. Odious little man. I had to stop several of his spies in the past few weeks. If you don't turn me down cold, he doesn't stand a chance."

"Did they all start clucking when they returned to report for him? Hmm.. Stark Industries' projected profits are pretty low here."

Emma ignored the implication. She could have made them into clucking idiots, but the UFO abductee idea had been much more entertaining.

"Your company stands to make one thousand percent profit, darling. That is using the numbers on your bulk rate, as reported to us by Miss Potts." Something was off.

"OH! Well, she's new. She's not really empowered to-"

"Is she another hologram, Tony?" Emma didn't bother looking at him.

"Uh.. no, and don't even suggest that to her. It would lead to uncomfortable questions." Tony was playing with the papers now, and her.

Emma held up a piece of paper, "is this your signature, empowering Miss Potts to give firm estimates for you and your companies?" She slid it across the table, tapping a nail on the signature.

"Yesss, but this is different." Tony pinched his nose, then leaned across the table, "You see, our prices are much higher for Frost, since you are not exactly trustworthy as a business partner."

"I beg your pardon?" Emma stood, anger flaring like an aura around her. "You send a facsimile of yourself into serious business negotiations, and you have the nerve to say I am the untrustworthy one?"

"Why do you think I developed that facsimile, Emma? You can read my mind! You can make me agree to whatever you want, and I wouldn't know it. I had to see for myself if you would try. Obviously, you did or you wouldn't have found me out." Tony was standing now, and crossed his arms, "I see how fast your companies are growing, Frosty. I know you're putting the mojo on people to do it."

"That is Shaw's way of things, not mine!" Emma started to storm out, but was quickly back at the table, " I have my own talent, you know. My own PhD's in law, psychology, and business. I have never stolen an idea. I may have overheard some stock information in the early days, but it is hard enough to drown out the roar of millions of minds. I don't use my telepathy in the boardroom to manipulate, Tony. Especially with you." She took a deep breath, grumbled something to herself, then tucked her hair behind her ears, "I knew it wasn't you because there was a giant mental hole between your two lawyers where you should have been. It was glaringly obvious."

His eyes softened, "Can we go in my office to talk?"

Emma relaxed a little, "Of course."

Tony led the way out of the conference room and down the hallway to a much larger office with no name on the door. A corner office, the room had a cozy feel, more like a hotel room at a lavish spa. Emma glanced at the comfortable lounging area, the view of the bay, and the serenity of it all. It didn't match her idea of him, and that made her frown.

Tony closed the door behind them, and Emma didn't give him a chance to start, "I am doing this deal personally, because my company is finally in a position to help yours. If you don't want to work with me, don't. My integrity will remain the same, and your ego won't be the better for losing out on this deal."

It was hard to believe. After so many years, she had thought he'd either forgotten or not cared about her telepathic ability, yet Stark had been designing anti-telepathy technology all along.

"We both know what you can do if you want to. I think it's fair for me to be concerned over my assets." Tony started pacing, opening all the blinds and skylights. "I know a deal that's too good to be true when I see it."

Emma crossed her arms, glaring, "Have I ever used my abilities against you - SINCE I saved you?"

"How do I know?"

Emma went to look out of the window, It truly was peaceful. "I could have bought this building from you for a dollar. That's how."

"What are you talking about? Even in my most comatose state, I would know that was a bad deal." He paused in his wandering to join her at the window. "Not helping your case, honey."

"Tony, I take what I can do very seriously. Yes, there are people like Hammer that I would use without a moment's thought-"

"Not that there's anything he has that works-"

"but you.." Emma shook her head, turning to smile at him, "I owe you my life."

"Yeah, you do. And a date!" Tony pointed at her, closing the distance, "So you're saying I can trust you, because you owe me?"

Yes, she thought, and because she was fond of him. He would never believe her. A hand went to her purse, and Emma pulled out a small metallic necklace.

"A friend of mine made this for me. It dampens my abilities. We can sit in here, and you can read the proposal while I wear it. Hm? Then you'll know."

"Wait, I was-"

Tony looked at her warily, watching as she put the strange jewelry around her neck. Small, blue-white LEDs turned on as Emma closed the clasp, and she winced, sitting down heavily in an overstuffed chair. Damn, but it hurt. Everything was wrong, like her ears were stuffed with cotton. More testing was definitely needed. Emma Frost's tear-brimmed eyes watched the traffic moving far below, no longer in touch. Alone. She was so alone.

"Are you ok? That looked invasive."

When she didn't reply, he nervously opened the door, "l'll be right back." Tony raced out of the room, returning quickly with his copy of the proposal and a glass of water. She jumped as he touched her on the shoulder, "Emma, you don't have to do this. I-"

Emma clenched her teeth "Shut up and read, Stark. You can take me out to dinner to apologize." _Was this what normal people felt? If the pain would just stop._ Her head was on fire.

Tony leafed through it, spending most of his time on the numbers, and not the fine print. "The lawyers seem excited."

"Try ravenous." Emma massaged her temples, "With your top-shelf additions, we both stand to make a very large sum of money."

Leaning close to her, Tony whispered, "I'm in. Take the hardware off." He had scared her into jumping again, but it was worth it.

"That's two dinners to apologize." Emma was shaking, hard. The necklace was far too powerful. _Have to tell Hank._

Tony ran his hands along her shoulders, not wanting to frighten her again, "I'll get it. And you have definitely proven whatever you wanted to prove to me. I trust you, princess. Just… don't do that again. That was hard to watch." He took the necklace off and tossed it in the wastebasket.

"I'm glad. I would have hated to work with Hammer, darling. The things I saw in his mind…" She smirked, her humor returning as she felt the minds of the city once more.

"Don't tell me," Tony looked her over, making sure she wasn't hiding the pain, "He likes mime jell-o wrestling?"

Her laughter was sweet and genuine, "might as well call it that." She stood, but Tony pulled him to her, "What am I thinking, Emma?"

Her eyes searched his, but she shook her head, answering honestly "No.. I don't want to know."

He smiled, "I'm not that hard to figure out, you know." Tony's lips found hers for a long, sweet kiss. It brought up a lot of memories, mostly good.

"You'll keep my secret?" Emma needed to know. "Even if I run out of here right now, and we never have our date?" Once she knew the answer, she would finally be able to trust the man.

Tony nodded, running his nose along hers, "Yeah. Unless you do something stupid. But you aren't getting out of our date again."


	3. Chapter 3

Emma Frost was nervous for the first time in a long while. The invitation had come out of the blue, after being of different political and moral minds for years. Tony Stark had asked her out. Or in, it seemed. She took a final look at the requested attire draping her body, and nodded to herself. Mr. Hogan was waiting. She slipped a white trench coat over her outfit, and greeted Happy with a smile.

Happy Hogan was quiet in the limo, but still provided a few hints. Emma raised an eyebrow at the musings going on in his mind.

He was worried about his boss. At first, the whole Iron Man thing had been fun, and Happy had thought it a good publicity stunt, plus more time off, since the Boss liked flying in the suit so much, but then people started trying to actually kill him. Obadiah Stane, then that crazy Russian, and most recently an entire army from outer space plus a Norse god. The boss had handled it, sure. But Pepper had almost been killed- twice! The feds were in their business these days, and Stark was still acting like nothing had changed. Pepper had changed. Pepper was back in California, running things while Tony had gone to ground in Manhattan, overseeing the repairs on the Tower.

Curious. Emma looked up at the Stark Tower as the limo made its way closer. Her penthouse overlooked Central Park, so the traffic was annoyingly slow in the evening. There it was - only the A remained from the giant "STARK" that had once graced the beautiful building. Most of the buildings in this part of the NYC still boasted scaffolding and plywood from the Chitauri attack. Her own corporate headquarters had had two floors to repair, thanks to a certain angry green giant. Emma recalled the day with a shudder.

She had been in Boston, overseeing her school for gifted youth, when the noise and terror from her employees' minds had reached her, causing her to rush to the airport. Her assistant, Eustace Dulane, had forced her to stop reacting and sit calmly enough to assess the situation. From the airport lounge, Emma had found that she could not sense the Chitauri. Their alien minds were more hive-like. Nor did they seem to have a method to their attack, other than to damage property and kill people. Then the Hulk, with his raging mental state had shown up, and Emma decided her efforts would be best applied in keeping her students from rushing off in an effort to help, just as she had done.

She'd wondered about Tony's part. After the Mutant registration nonsense, they had been, at best, cold to each other at parties, absent completely everywhere else. And now, he had sent a mysterious invitation, hand-written and stuffed into a Fed Ex envelope, asking her to a pajama party. Strange, to say the least.

Emma smiled as she left the car, nodding to Happy. "Thank you for the ride."

"Did you read my mind? I heard you could do stuff like that. I hope I wasn't too rude. The boss told me to think about porn, but I put swimsuits on everyone." He was almost blushing.

Emma patted his arm, "Mr. Hogan, I assure you, your bikini women were safe." She kept her smile a mystery. Yes, she had peeked into his mind, but had avoided his conscious areas - and the sports illustrated models - entirely.

Happy nodded, relieved to not have revealed any secrets, and ushered Emma into the elevator, pressing the security code for the penthouse before he stepped out again. "Have a nice night, Ms. Frost."

"You too, Mr. Hogan."

Once inside the penthouse, she looked around curiously. It was very masculine, really. All stone and texture. No one home?

"Tony, summoning me, then refusing to greet me at the door is the height of rudeness."

"I'm outside! Just getting things ready. Pick up the tray of drinks on your way."

Emma slipped the coat off, frowning at the idea of bringing him drinks. "I quit the Hellfire Club a while ago, darling, and I was never a waitress."

"Emma, will you please thaw out? I just forgot the drinks."

She weighed her options, but ended up taking the tray. A giant sofa had been dragged out to the landing, along with a small table and some mechanical equipment. Emma set the drinks on the table, next to a giant tub of popcorn. All annoyance left her as she saw her date for the evening.

Tony grinned at her, patting the sofa next to him. He was wearing adult-size iron man pajamas. "Heyy Emma! Glad you could make it. I thought we might watch a movie. Hope you like extra butter."

Emma tried not to laugh, "Are you unwell?"

"I am very well. I just thought it would be fun to stay in."

"Out."

"In, but out."

"And the dress code?"

"I just wanted to see if you'd do it." He stood, munching on popcorn. "Nice Jammies. I was hoping for less, but the white satin is a nice touch. If you're cold, I've got blankets."

"No, not cold. More surprised than anything." Emma kept her promises, and long ago, she'd promised to stay out of his head. It was nice to be surprised. 'And the movie?" She walked over to the sofa. It was easily large enough for three or four people.

"Your pick."

"In a minute." Emma sat on the soft brown suede, crossing her legs, "I seem to recall that our friendship had devolved into blatant animosity, dear. Maybe you can explain what's changed before the movie is chosen."

"Oh. That. Yeah, I know…" Tony paced a little, not looking at her, "I said nasty things to you, you were cold and rude to me. I know. But stuff has happened since then, Frosty. I mean, cataclysmic, murderous, world about to end stuff. It's changed a lot - for instance, who I consider friends, and how I work - Did you know I'm part of a team now?"

"I would have taken odds on that one."

"Exactly! I work with five other people! As equals! Well, ok not equal. I am the brains, after all, but Dr. Banner is a close second."

She pursed her lips, "I don't think you want a date as much as you want a therapist, and I-"

"No! No, wait! Emma, friends talk, right? You are a friend to me. I really need to talk to a friend right now."

"Therapist." She stood, giving him a sad smile.

He grabbed her arms, "Will you listen? Just listen."

Emma rolled her eyes, "I will listen to your explanation about why you think this has more to do with friendship than with therapy."

Tony guided her back to the sofa and sat next to her. "This is hard for me to say."

"I can tell."

"Stop. Just... Pepper's gone. She can't handle the whole Avengers thing, so she left. Even when she was here, I paid her salary. I've been realizing that many of my best friends get something for putting up with me. Even Rhodey."

"Rhodey is a true friend, dear. He's a good man, and it is very endearing how he feels about you." That made him pause.

Tony blinked, "You read his-"

"I did. He was digging around in my past, so I dug around in his pia mater." She smiled thinly. "Otherwise, I would not have."

"Ok, I can see that. He got overprotective of me for a bit, there."

"He has honorable intentions, Tony. You can trust James Rhodes. I suggest you call him tonight. You and he can drink beer and watch movies."

"I could, but he's not as hot as you." Emma gave him a wilting look, but Tony shook it off, "Ok, here is my point. Yes, I have Rhodey. BUT! He's still not on the same level, Emma. Not like you and me. He has obligations to a government that wants to take my tech half the time without paying. You and I are different. We are both billionaires. Neither one of us answers to anyone else for anything. It's a very lonely place to be, and I need a friend. I bet you do, too."

Emma was about to argue, but she sat back on the sofa, sinking into it, "Yes. I don't have many friends, either. True friends, I mean. Not colleagues, employees, students. Real friends."

"See?" He moved closer, "This is what I am talking about. I can trust you. I'm not out to use you, or keep my job. I'm willing to guess you aren't trying to use me, either."

"Define 'Use'."

"Use, as in steal corporate or personal information," Tony licked his lips, "If I thought I had a chance to use that body, I would."

"Ah. Continue." Her eyes were smiling.

"Neither of us need money. What we do need is a person to be honest with."

"Companionship."

"Yes!"

"So, instead of being people who meet to shag once in awhile, we'd be friends?"

"Friends with benefits."

Emma chewed on her lip, staring off into the Manhattan skyline. "It would be nice to have a confidant."

"I'm taking that as a yes. You said yes. You can't take it back." Tony grinned charmingly.

Turning towards him, Emma kissed his cheek. "You might not like what I have to say. I have been very busy."

He handed her a beer, "Right back atcha, honey."

She grabbed one of the blankets, getting comfortable. "So, what's the matter?"

It was Tony's turn to look out at the view, "I went through a wormhole to another dimension. Right up there." He pointed.

Emma lay her head against the sofa seat, looking up, and Tony followed suit. "Right above this building?"

"Yeah. Loki was being cute."

"What was it like?"

"Quiet. Dark. Filled with alien beings bent on killing us all. Kind of reminded me of the UV poster phase I went through in high school. Except there were space worms instead of half-dressed women ...I thought I was dead."

The side of Tony's head rested against Emma's, and they stared up at the cloudless field of stars together, but Emma knew they weren't seeing the same thing.

"Do you still see it?"

"It's more like, I keep waiting for it to show up. For ursa major right there to break open into a darker sky. I don't see it right now, but it could open again. Any moment."

"I know what that's like."

"You've been through a wormhole with a nuclear bomb?" Tony's voice had a challenge to it.

"I've had a time traveler named Trevor Fitzroy pop into my school, kill the senior class, and vanish with the threat to come again. I suppose a Time Portal and a Wormhole have similar physics involved." Emma bit back tears. Even after so many years, the moments of her students' death cut deeply.

"Ok, not the same, but similar. I'll give that to you." He clinked his beer bottle with hers, taking a drink.

"It's unpleasant, thinking someone murderous could just jump out at any second and take everything away." Closing her eyes didn't help.

"That was an understatement, Emma."

"It's horrifying, nightmare-inducing, life changing."

"Better." His hand found hers, and they both were silent a long moment, just looking up.

"If Fontleroy does it again, call me."

"If that hole opens again, you do the same. I'll brave the Hulk to get here."

Emma turned to see Tony thinking something through. His eyes found hers.

"You could be an Avenger, Emma."

She laughed, looking at the stars again. "I don't want to be an Avenger. You forget that every person named as an Avenger has lost their anonymity. Spies have been outed. Dr. Banner can't hide anywhere."

"I'm taking care of him. And Agents R Us is handling the spies. If you're worried about Bruce, I'll design some cool armor for you. Oh! You could fly!"

"No, darling. I'd rather not."

"Right. I can take no for an answer."

Emma laughed.

He turned to face her, going up on an elbow, "I can. I hear it all the time these days."

She smiled up at him, "This is nice."

"So you are admitting I was right?"

"That seems a dangerous thing to admit."

"Fine, but I'm still right." Tony sat up a little more, "Are you staying for the movie?"

"Yes." She sat up as well, messing with the blanket, "I like it up here. It's so quiet. I thought the only way to mute all of New York's voices was to leave it."

"Up is in, Honey." Tony took a drink, watching the wind play with her hair. "What's it going to be?"

Emma thought a moment, "I assume you will say no to any French film I mention."

"Oui."

"Casablanca."

"But that's so old. Too low-tech."

"Are you paying me back for saying no earlier?"

"Payback is best served cold." He fed her some extra buttery kernels.

"A Beautiful Mind."

"Hm… brain problems and genius math portrayed almost correctly. Ok, let's put that on the short list. Next?"

Emma glanced over at him, trying to think more like a billionaire playboy-philanthropist. "The Goonies."

"Now you're talking! Goonies it is!" Tony grabbed the remote and started poking it. Two small electronic pillars rose out of the patio, and began to emit a thick mist. "No clouds required." Tony grinned at her, poking the remote some more.

Emma smirked, taking a drink.

"What? I was bored, and trying to figure out an excuse for asking you here in your pajamas. Going to market with it next month."

"You sent the invitation yesterday."

"So?"

"So, it took you a day to design, create, and test this?"

"More like four hours."

Emma laughed, "Of course."

The movie started, and Tony put the bowl of popcorn between them. "Never pegged you as a Goonies fan." He smiled between bites.

"I've never seen it. Magneto said I should see it, but I never have."

"Magneto? There's a man named Magneto that said you should see Goonies?" Tony nearly choked.

"It was more that he was telling me my students weren't living in the Goonies. He seems to think I have an irrational need to protect children." Emma made a face, "He was taunting me, at the time. We were having an... argument."

"Sounds like one of the bad guys. Do I need to rough him up?"

"He controls metal, darling. You're Iron Man."

"It's not literal, you know. More like Gold-titanium Alloy Man." he fidgeted, pretending to stretch as he put his arm around her. "Looked stupid on a t shirt, though."

Emma took a few pieces of popcorn, watching his nearly professional move while the movie played on the artificial cloud. "No sex tonight."

Tony sat straight up, pausing the film. "Why the hell not?"

"It wouldn't be the same. It wouldn't be sex. It would be better, deeper. I don't think you can handle intimacy so soon after Pepper, darling."

"How will we know, if I don't try?" Winking, he pointed both index fingers at her, "You're a friend, not a therapist, remember?"

When Emma laughed, he started crawling over the popcorn, and she grinned, snuggling further into the cushions, "Very true."

Tony twirled his finger into a blonde lock of hair, his other hand bracing himself as his knees moved to either side of her legs. "So it's back on the table?"

"Oh no. Not the table. This sofa is adequate for starters." Emma reached up, one manicured hand pulling Tony's face down to her own for a promising kiss. "After the movie.I want to see what a goonie is"

Tony nodded, letting out a long breath as he rubbed her nose with his own. "I can wait… maybe…" He wiggled around her until his head was nestled in her lap, "You're going to love this. Really creepy bad guys, nerdy kids, and a surprise ending."

"That's my life, darling." Her hands played with his hair.

-X-

The next morning, Happy entered the penthouse, carrying several bags of food. He started to go into the bedroom, but stopped himself. No point in seeing things he would never bleach away. Instead, he set the bags on the countertop. "Jarvis, any hint on where and how many?"

Jarvis was quick to reply, "Two: one in the bed, and one out on the veranda, watching the sunrise."

Happy noted the smell of brewed coffee, and headed outside.

Emma Frost was sitting at the very edge of the platform, her legs dangling as she sipped her coffee. "Good morning, Mr. Hogan."

"Oh! Um.. sorry. The boss is usually up early, so I thought…"

"Not a problem. Tony is sleeping in. I take it Eustace delivered breakfast?"

"Yeah.. That's a weird guy. No offense, but he's not from around here, is he."

Emma turned around, and stood in one fluid motion. She was wearing a t-shirt and matching short shorts, both of which had "Property of Tony Stark" written on them in black sharpie.

"None taken. He's from New Orleans." and a zombie, she added to herself. Poor thing couldn't get work to save his, well, you know. "I know he seems odd, but trust me, he's the best assistant I have ever had."

Happy was trying not to stare at her shirt, "I'll take your word for it. So Tony's really asleep?"

"Yes. Could you get his day rescheduled? He seems to need the rest." Emma refilled the coffee in her mug.

"Got it. I'd better go." Happy waved as he headed for the elevator.

Emma nodded,"Take a beignet for yourself. They are really good." She wandered into the bedroom, staring a long moment at Tony's foot sticking out from under a pillow. "Happy's here, darling."

Something undecipherable rumbled from under the covers.

"Take your time."


End file.
